Autograph-recorder



T. B. D'OOLE'Y'.

(N'o Modei.)

R. E D R 0 G E R H P A R G 0 T U A No. 465,466. Patentd'Deo. 22, 1891.

4 NVENTEIR- UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE THOMAS B. DOOLEY, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOGRAPH-RECORDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 465,466, dated December 22, 1891 Application filed January 30, 1891- Serial No. 7 ,6 N0 m dem To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. DOOLEY, of Malden, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Autograph-Recorders, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to autograph-recorders designed particularly for the use of salesmen in giving receipts for purchases, and at the same time making a check or memorandum recording the sale, though the device may be employed for various other purposes.

It is the object of the invention to produce a device which shall be economical of construction and thoroughly convenient and efficient for the purpose for which it is intended.

The invention consists of certain groups of parts in anautograph-recorder constructed as will be hereinafter more fully described, and subsequently pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, forming a part of this specification, the same letters designating the same parts or features wherever they occur.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents the invention in perspective complete, the parts of the sheets of paper in the same being represented as torn out at a point in order to bet-' ter illustrate the use of the. device. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal vertical sectional view-of the invention. Fig. 3 is a 'top plan. view of the forward part of the device, parts being represented as broken out. Fig. 4. is a sectional detail view showing the manner in which the hand-rest or table may be constructed and attached to the frame, and also showing the manner in which the carbon sheet may be attached and maintained in position. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing one way of constructing the paper-roll supports,

' so that they may be removably secured in the frame.

In the drawings, a. designates the frame of the device which may be of any suitable or desired form.

I) designates the is passed.

e (Z designate paper-roll supports, of which there may be as many as desired, and which bed, over which the paper are so constructed as that rolls of paper 6 f may be supported and turned thereon.

In the present'instance I have represented the paper-roll supports as consisting of rods, which are adapted to be supported in suitable bearings in the frame, and to be with drawn longitudinally therefrom, in order that a paper-roll may be placed in position thereon, and when a roll of paper is placed upon the support the latter may be locked in position in the frame by means of a latch g, Fig. 5, pivoted upon the frame at h, and arranged so as to engage a groove Z, formed in the paperroll support, and so prevent the latter from moving longitudinally in the frame, while at the same time permitting it to turn in its bearings therein. The full-line position of the latch g in Fig. 5 represents it as it may be when the paper-roll support is to be withdrawn longitudinally, or in the same manner moved into its bearings in the frame, while the dotted-line position of the said latch shows the manner of moving it to engage the groove 2' to lock the paper-roll support in place.

7' designates a hand-rest or table which may form an integral part of the frame a, though I have here shown it as detachably connected therewith, and to theinner end of the rest or table j I have shown rods 70, which may form a means for securing one end of a carbon sheet Z thereto, so that the said carbon sheet may extend forward over the bed I? to or near to the forward end ofthe latter.

In the present instance I have shown but two paper rolls, and it is designed that the same data or memoranda blanks shouldbe.

printed on each, and that they should'benum bered, if necessary, correspondingly. The paper from the roll 6 maybe led from underneath the same under a rod or roller m, over a similar device at, and over the carbon sheet Z, to the forward end of the bed, while the paper from the roll f may be led therefrom over or around a rod or roller 0, and underneath the carbon sheet Z, to a point on theforward end of the bed corresponding with the point to which the sheet from the roll e was led, guides 19 at the sides of the bed being provided, if necessary, to guide the sheets in their movement over the bed and on opposite sides of the carbon sheet Z.

As shown in Fig. 1, the upper sheet has data represented on it, and the lower sheet 1 will have corresponding data, and the data and lines and numbers of the two sheets will be arranged to exactly register or correspond in position. At the forward end of the bed I) the sheets q 0 will be led under a holder or retainer 3 and forward under a straight edge or knife 75, the carbon sheet Z terminating, by preference, before reaching the holder 5. The holder 3 and straight-edge or knife 15 are normally held down upon the bed I) with a yielding pressure, this pressure in the present instance being shown as obtained by means of springs a, which are secured to a shaft u in the frame, and having projecting ends which bear, respectively, upon the straight-edge or knife and holder or retainer 3. At its forward end the bed is provided with a recess or notch, as is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, and the straight-edge or knife t is arranged to extend across the bed and recess formed therein, as is clearly shown in the last-mentioned figure, and also in Fig. 2. A thumbpiece 0 or ear extends upward from the rearward edge of the knife or straight-edge t, so that the user, by pressing, upon the said thumb-piece i), may raise the forward edge of the knife or straight-edge and be permitted to grasp the forward edges of the paper extending thereunder, so that the same may be drawn forward in unison and maintained in registered position. I have employed other constructions for moving the said knife or straight-edge out of the way for the purpose mentioned; but the above form of means I find convenient and sufficient for the purpose.

In the use of my invention, the several papers having been arranged in position, as explained, the operator or user of the device may write such memoranda or data upon the sheet q, resting upon the bed 5, the intervening carbon sheet Z transferring such memoranda in the corresponding position upon the sheet 0", after which the two sheets (1 1' may be drawn forward under the straight-edge or knife and holder or retainer and torn off, as is commonly done in the use of tins or straight-edges in tearing off sections of paper.

In order to enable the operator to grasp the two sheets and draw them forward,as before explained, it is necessary that the knife or straight-edget should be moved out of the way to an extent to enable him to grasp the forward ends of the sheets, and this is-done by pressing upon the thumb projection a: and raising the forward end of the knife, the notch or recess w in the bed enabling him to catch the two sheets between the thumb and forefinger and draw the same forward to proper position, when the knife twill be released, and the springs upon the shaft 0 force the same down upon the paper and hold it sufficiently firm to enable it to be torn off, as aforesaid.

It will be seen from the foregoing description of the recess in the forward edge of the bed I), as also the movable character of the straight-edge or knife 15, constitutes important features of my invention, since it is by these that I am enabled to afford opportunity whereby the forward ends of the sheets may be readily taken off and be, maintained in proper relative position. It is to be observed, further, that the carbon sheet Z is not fed or drawn forward in the operation of the device, but is maintained in stationary position between the two sheets q r, and when the said carbon sheet becomes so worn as not to effect a ready transfer of the data written upon the upper sheet (1 a new sheet may be conveniently and quickly supplied by withdrawing the sheet (1 fromunder. the knife t and holder 3, detaching the used carbon sheet from the rods 76, supplying a new one and replacing the sheet q.

In the present instance the rest or table 3' is shown as provided with projecting ears or lugs or, provided with notches y 2, so that the forward end of the said lugs may extend under the rod or roller 0, the latter resting in the notch y, and the rearward end of said lugs may rest upon the rod or roller n, the latter fitting in the notch .2, though any other suitable means of detachably connecting the rest or table j with frame a or of securing the carbon sheet in position may be employed. The hand-rest or table j serves to prevent smearing of the lower sheet from the carbon sheet, which would be theresult if no hand-rest were used.

The holder or retainer .9 isdesigned to bear upon the sheets so as to maintain them in position on the bed when the knife or straightedge is raised to enable the user to take hold of the projecting ends of the sheets in the notch or recess w, and, owing to the construction and connection of the springs when the pressure of the knife is removed from the paper, the pressure of the holder sis correspondingly increased.

While I have been particular in describing the several parts and features as herein shown, it is obvious that the same maybe varied in form and arrangement without departing from the nature or spirit of my invention.

Having thus described one form of my invention and explained one way in which the same may be constructed and used,I declare that what I claim is- 1. An autograph-recorder consisting of a bed, a movable knife or straight-edge adapted to bear upon the bed at its forward end with a yielding pressure, and a transverse yielding holder to normally bear upon the bed and hold the paper in position while the straight edge or knife is being moved to enable the user to grasp the edge of the paper, as set forth.

2. The combination,with the frame and'bed, of a plurality of paper-roll supports, a detachable hand-rest, guides for the paper, a carbon sheet holder to maintain a sheet of carbon-paper intermediate of the sheets of paper first mentioned and supported by said hand-rest, and a yielding straight-edge'or knife to bear upon the paper at the forward end of the bed, the latter being notched or recessed at its forward end or edge, as set forth.

3. The con1bination,with the frame and bed, of a plurality of paper-roll supports, guides for the paper, a carbon-sheet holder to maintain a sheet of carbon-paper intermediate of the sheets of paper first mentioned, a yielding straight-edge or knife to bear upon the paper at the forward end of the bed, the latter being notched or recessed at its forward end or edge, and a yielding holder extending transversely of the bed to normally bear upon \Vitnesses:

ARTHUR W. CRossLEY, A..D. HARRISON. 

